Chapter 18.3

Chu Xiaoyi was surprised to learn of their plans. “But don’t you feel tired planning so much? Won’t your work be delayed?”

Annie’s mother showed him the Gantt chart she prepared long ago on her mobile phone and replied, “Definitely tired. But if you manage your time responsibly, you can still manage both sides.”

Annie’s mother was an excellent working professional and a project management guru, able to keep her work and personal life schedules in check. It’s said that Annie’s father was also the same, as they were each responsible for being Anne’s conversation partners to maximize the efficiency of foreign language learning.

Chu Xiaoyi pondered for a few seconds. He frowned slightly and said cautiously, “I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say that… But I think you’re a little anxious.”

After facing the parents alone, Chu Xiaoyi felt suffocating anxiety.

The people around him seemed to always be waiting for the battle, and their steps were hurried, revealing their momentum of wanting to win the battle, which made him a little apprehensive.

Annie’s mother smiled bitterly. “Of course I am anxious; if Annie doesn’t mix well with us in the future, then what should I do?”

“She needs to go to a high-ranked Ivy League first before she can even start her life plans.”

Chu Xiaoyi couldn’t help but fall silent. He looked into Anne’s mother’s worried eyes and suddenly understood what they feared.

They were already mighty heroes in the face of their children; they were elite parents without a doubt, but they were deeply afraid of their children being unable to mix with other people of similar social status.

They forced themselves to become world-class education experts, pushing their children with all their might lest they fall behind at the starting line. They are convinced that money alone is not enough. But most importantly, to maintain their current status quo, they did their best to give their children the best of everything.

This wasn’t only a matter of her mother showing strength but also her willpower.

No matter how good you are in your field, you will still fall into a cycle of anxiety, especially the more elite you are in your strata. That’s because only the elite knew the true importance of having that kind of status.

After the opening ceremony, Chu Xiaoyi’s mood was subtle and complicated, even until he took Chu Xiaoxiao home.

On the other hand, Chu Xiaoxiao calmly climbed into the back seat and put her small school bag on one side. She looked no different from the morning, as if she were not affected by anything.

Chu Xiaoyi looked at his sister in the rearview mirror with a hint of hesitation.

If the little bun is really a genius, then the family would face new problems. Yet, how can she not waste her talent?

Annie’s mother works so hard to raise the level of her child; how many more of them have a SSR*-level genius child? They cannot be left behind!

T/N: Specially Super Rare

Chu Xiaoxiao sensed the silence of the cheap brother. Noticing his fluctuating emotions, she wrinkled her eyebrows and asked, “What’s wrong with you again?  Why are you in a bad mood?”

Chu Xiaoxiao looked at Chu Xiaoyi’s emotional color fluctuation with a strange face. She felt that there were really many strange things about her brother.

How could he be in a bad mood countless times a day? He was either sad or angry. Now he’s anxious again, like an unstable chemical element.

Chu Xiaoyi hesitated for a moment and asked, “Xiaoxiao, what school do you want to go to in the future? What day do you want us to visit it?”

Anne’s mother took Annie to visit Ivy League schools every year so that she could establish an interest in well-known institutions and lay a foundation early. Naturally, Chu Xiaoyi also felt the need to understand his sister’s ambitions.

Did she like Harvard or Cambridge? Should I take her to the US or England?

Chu Xiaoxiao tilted his head and seriously thought for a while. She then said, “I want to go to Hogwarts; can you take me there?”

“…”

Chu Xiaoyi gritted his teeth and said, “I’m asking about the university you want to study at.”

Chu Xiaoxiao childishly repeated, “I want to go to Hogwarts! I’m going to join Gryffindor!”

Chu Xiaoyi supported his forehead with his hand, feeling a growing headache.

How could it be that others took their children to Ivy League schools while I had to take my sister to Universal Studios?

Chu Xiaoxiao was originally calm, but the more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She even happily sang Sorting Hat’s song: “You might belong to Gryffindor, where dwell the bravehearts; their daring nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart…”

“…”

Chu Xiaoyi recently discovered his sister’s habit. She would dance and sing whenever she was happy. Just like the last time she stepped on a puddle of water, she sang “Let it go”.

Although Chu Xiaoyi felt that he was playing piano to a cow*, I have to say that her singing voice dissolved anxiety and made him no longer feel tight and uneasy.

T/N: Chinese idiom meaning “A person who is explaining something complicated to a fool”

His mood then relaxed as he regained his usual composure. He then teased, “You sing really badly.”

Chu Xiaoxiao counterattacked, “Then you repeat the sentence I just sang, and then I’ll admit that I lose if you can sing it well.”

“…”

I can naturally imitate the tune, but I can’t recite the lyrics!

Chu Xiaoxiao saw that he couldn’t learn it, so she immediately showed a proud look. At the same time, she confessed her long-term doubt: “Brother, do you really have fans? Why should they like you?”

“!!?”

Do you want to kill your brother out of anger?

That night, Chu Xiaoxiao paid a terrible price for her remarks. She was forced to watch her brother’s costume TV series in the living room, and her beloved iPad was confiscated.

She sadly hummed and rolled on the couch and whispered, “I don’t want to see this.”

Chu Xiaoyi retorted, “Chu Xiaoxiao, you only watch foreign language cartoons every day. You should also watch historical and cultural dramas so that you won’t forget your roots!”

“?”

The backstage choreographer who heard Chu Xiaoyi’s childish remarks was dumbfounded.

Are you even sure that watching domestic costume dramas can be regarded as receiving historical and cultural education?

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